Page 23 - The City of Greensboro Conditions and Trends

CITY OF GREENSBORO COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CONDITIONS & TRENDS

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Technology in the 21 Century

The Trend

Technology is changing almost every aspect of people’s lives at an increasing rate. Private market usage will continue to
evolve, from ride-sharing and house rentals, to short-time office- and event-space rentals such as LiquidSpace, to
compressed logistic chains. Many of these changes will affect how people work and travel and may challenge existing land
use and transportation standards. Governments will feel this change in two ways. First, technology will directly change how
they provide services, for example by the use of smart water meters that detect leaks and other changes in water usage in
real time. Second, the range of services needed by the public is changing rapidly in ways that are difficult to predict.

Background

Improving Access to Government and City Services

Technology is improving the ability to provide some basic services. This includes improvements to traffic signalization and
crosswalk safety; water and energy metering that saves resources; and increased flexibility to meet demands created by
new technology such as ride-sharing and online commerce. Many of these changes revolve around the improved collection
of real-time, site-specific data and improved communication between people and between objects.

The following excerpts are from reports on technology and the city. The first is from the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE), which looks at how different technology infrastructure will affect the demand and delivery of
services. The second is from the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and takes a broader look at
technology and cities.

Smart Cities
A 2017 report from the IEEE titled “Smart Cities: An Overview of the Technology Trends Driving Smart Cities” emphasizes
that a “smart city” does not just leverage a particular new technology, but creates an ecosystem where residents, civic
institutions and technology come together in a way that they can all best use new technology. The report identifies a mix of
human, technological and institutional factors that can create this ecosystem.

 Human actors, including information technology professionals developing Internet Protocol (IP) networks, software,
analysis and security; and telecommunication companies, including broadband and internet providers, mobile
telephones and network services.

 Institutions including government agencies and higher education, which can provide open-data and e-governance
portals, and consider concerns about privacy and security.
 Technological devices that enable building automation, including energy management and device connectivity; and
that are used for energy infrastructure, which covers the power grid, water supply and renewable energy.

Due to the global importance of technology and the rapid pace of innovation, there is a high level of unpredictability to
smart city development. Opportunities and challenges facing cities include the following:

 The Internet of Things (IoT): The network that allows a wide variety of hardware and software technologies to
communicate with each other is referred to as the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT includes such devices as traffic
signals, in-pavement sensors, motor vehicles, smartphones, and building management systems. Interconnectivity

DRAFT -23- March 15, 2018